Captivating Portraits
Sometimes a certain moment or environment calls for an Impressionistic approach to a portrait. Brushstrokes can be somewhat gestured in order to hint at the feeling of the moment, but a lightened palette with an emphasis on color will truly set the mood. French Impressionists in the late 19th century used this style while painting scenes of leisure and landscapes. People were shown set in leisure or nightlife surroundings in order to emphasize the importance of social activity at the time, instead of in a traditional seated portrait. Moreover, colors were manipulated in order to reinforce the relaxed, intoxicating, or seductive moods of the time. In Edouard Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergeres, 1882, you can see how the portrait shows more than just the woman subject, but also the scenes of the bar through the mirror behind her, and the palette used mimics the ambiance of the evening.
Expressionist Portraits
Another of my favorite ways to paint portraits is through an expressionistic style. Expressionist portraits tend to be comprised of broad directional brushstrokes with most of the color blending on the canvas, similar to the gestured strokes of painting sketches. The feeling of the painting comes from the impromptu expression and the artist’s interaction with the painting and subject throughout the process. Often the mood is reflective of the moment, and not necessarily that of the person’s overall personality. The person may be angry, sad or happy at the time of the portrait, the spirit of which will be obviously displayed in the finished product. German artists around the time of World War II are famous for painting Expressionist portraits full of emotion because of the angst of living in Germany at the time. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is among my favorite painters of that time period. In Self-portrait as a Drunkard, 1914, you can see how Kirchner portrays the feeling of the drunken moment through the painting of this self-portrait.
Realistic Portraits
Of course, a traditional portrait is painted realistically with the subject seated formally. For this type of portrait, colors are usually blended to mimic the reality. Time and patience is required to create the painstaking layers and glazes throughout the process. The result are visually tactile skin and fabrics, and other realistic effects. Rembrandt van Rijn is the one of the most famous portrait painters of the Renaissance. He was often commissioned throughout his life to paint formal portraits of noble
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